Twin Leaves of Uzumaki
by Secaid
Summary: Truth often hides it self in a bundles of half truths, a statement that Yamanaka Ino will learn for her self. (Ino x Naruto)
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. But I do have some pocky.

Prologue: Sword and Sheath

She watched him from her perch, beyond the tree line. Her eyes stared in awe at the beauty the blond had, the grace full slashes down to the elegant steps he took. Never in her life had she assumed that the loud mouth blonde she had known in her academy days could hold such a great secret.

Thinking back, she understood why he was doing what he was doing. Hiding his skill and his arts from the rest of the genins, that had graduated a few weeks ago. He was always underappreciated, back when they were still in the academy, she had known him as a loner, condemned to staying in the background until he acted on those pranks he pulled for attention.

She never understood the puzzle known as Uzumaki Naruto, but today, she found out something about him that even his sensei did not know. The boy actually had skill. He wasn't an expert on any know forms of Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, nor Taijutsu. But the experience and the knowledge he displayed with Kenjutsu was astounding.

Swoosh.

She gasped as the blonde slashed downwards, dividing the wind, and splitting several trees that stood a few meters from him. The power he was displaying with the sword right now, took her breath away. She watched him turn and settle into a stance, collecting his mind, and fixating his body in perfect synchronization.

With the orange jacket, he always wore, off. She could see his lean physique coming into harmony with his surroundings. She held her breath, staring into his blind folded face as he steadied him self into another stance, one she had never seen in the few weeks she had stalked him, trying to learn more about her orange clad comrade.

He whispered something, then flew forward with blinding speed. She blinked as she tried to comprehend what he had done to the tree, that she presumed was his target.

Crack.

Her eyes grew wide as saucers when the tree split apart in nine different places. She thought back to what she had over heard back at home. She had just woken up when she over hared her parents talking. It seemed as though they were splitting up team seven because of friction between the team's members. It wasn't apparent as to why her parents chose to listen until they mention a member of team seven was going to join team Ino-Shika-Cho. She had been giddy about that, thinking it was the last of the Uchiha that was to join them. Until she hared her mother made a comment, telling her husband that Uzumaki would indeed be a good edition to the team, and that maybe their daughter would learn something from the "Main House Heir". She exploded when she hared that, the thought of the "Dead Last Looser" joining her team and teaching her something was too much.

That was what she thought until she chose to stalk him, trying to pull a prank on him when he least expected. When he walked up the steps to the top of the Hokage's monument, she chose time to observe him for his weaknesses. When the blonde removed his jacket, and had drawn out a Katana, she almost laughed a the though of him cutting himself with it. That was until he started to dance with it. At first, she thought he was just waving around the weapon stupidly, day dreaming about himself being great. Then it started raining.

As the water poured from the skies above, she started to notice the crackling that the sword had left behind. The katana seemed as if it had a mind completely independent from the wielder's. It danced across the rain, drawing what seemed as to be patterns into the downpour.

When she had inquired about it to her parents, she found out a little known fact about Uzumaki Naruto.

He wasn't "Dead Last."

She asked for more information, and her parents told her of his decent, making her promise never to tell another soul.

The Heir of three clans, she hared. A master swordsman of the Clan Uzumaki, a long lost clan of Samurais that had disappeared about five hundred years ago. An heir of the Kazama clan of the Legendary Hidden Air, masters of the art of shadow walking, and main house to the bloodline that spawned the Nara, Uchiha, and Hyuuga. The Hidden Air was in fact, the first ninja clan that graced the world. And finally, an Heir of the clan Yamanaka, where her ancestry derives from, but unlike their family, Naruto's clan is the original house of Yamanaka, their ability with mind alteration and advanced telekinetics, generations ahead of her own family.

She was shocked at first, and had asked what at the time seemed to bee the most logical question that came into her mind.

"So why is dose he act so dumb?"

To that, her parents answered mysteriously, alluding to the well known ninja motto "You must look underneath the underneath."

And now as she stood on her perch, she contemplated about all the responsibilities the blonde had. An heir to three clans seemed to be a good target for assassins and kidnapers, trying to find the secrets of his families. With the cheerful visage he held, he seemed a weak and probably a good candidate to be victimized. But her parents told her of his knowledge in the arts of his clans. Though still a novice at best, the skill the boy possessed were levels beyond her and her classmate, even Uchiha Sasuke.

"Oi Ino!" he called out startling her from her perch. "Are you going to come here and train or are you going to marvel at my greatness all day?" he joked.

She looked curiously at him, trying to comprehend the invitation he had just yelled to her. And for that matter, how the heck did hi know she was here? She asked her self, staring in disbelief at his blind folded face.

"Your parents told me that you knew." He told her. "Said something about wanting me to help you with training."

"What!" she asked him stupidly.

"I know, I know. You'd rather be training with dumb ass Uchiha, right?" it came out more as a statement then a question.

"Well then, don't waste my time, if your just another Sasuke junkie. Now what the hell do you want, and why are you hear?" he asked.

"…………" came her "Oh so intelligent" reply.

"My greatness profound you don't it?" He asked with a chuckle. "Or is it my great and handsome face?" he said, taking of the blind fold, revealing his sky blue eyes.

"Look, I just came here to….Um………………Yeah... So leave me alone!" she yelled at him.

Naruto strode towards the edge of the cliff, over looking the village. He returned the katana to its sheath, and turned to look at the bright blue skie.

"You know……..I' m really looking forward to our firs meeting." He told her.

"What do you mean?" she asked curiously.

He turned to smile at her.

"I just have a good feeling about this team. Not like the first one with the bastard Uchiha and dimwit Haruno." He told her.

"It couldn't have been that bad, I mean, common this is Sasuke kun and forehead girl we're talking about. Their the best in the class in Ninjutsu theory and academics." She tried to reason.

"It may seem so, but those don't get you no where in the real world." He told her sadly.

"I learned that the hard way."

"Huh?"

"Nothing……."

"Common, lets go back to the village. I'll introduce you to Choji and Shikamaru." She said, taking him by the hand and running of towards the steps that lead up to the top of the monument.

'Make that a real good feeling.' Naruto thought to himself.

>

He found him self reminiscing the days of his early childhood, running around with his friends in the village of Uzumaki. Hidden from the wars and affairs of the larger countries, isolated and peaceful, where no snake and Uchihas roamed. Back then, he had friends that liked him, friends that loved hanging around him just because of his loud obnoxious attitude. He quietly cursed Sarutobi and his father for making him come here.

He always knew he was different, right to the time when the priest had exorcised him of the great fox and sealed it yet again into the blade he now caries. He grew with many children, learning the arts of his the three great clans. Learning the how to maintain the mask he had held since his arrival in Konoha.

He sighed.

Despite what the villagers here felt, he had to keep in mind not to bare with them. After all, in about a few days, all his friends and family would move here. He smiled a little. Three years of living alone was defiantly unhealthy, that's what his aunt Ayane would tell him.

It had actually had been old man Sarutobi's idea. He reasoned of the dangers the three great families now faced, Uzumaki's isolation, Yamanaka main house's location near the Sound, and the Kazama's nomadic ways had put the clans in danger. The best solution, he had told them, was for them to move in to the old estates of the Kazama Arashi, the last heir of the Kazama clan.

He had been happy when they had agreed, and happier still that the old man was actually willing to let him transfer into another team. He shivered at the thought. Two hundred needles pricing his body, and Uchiha Sasuke's cold voice telling him of his great weaknesses.

The hunter had awakened then, nearly killing the girl named Haku, and bashing the Uchiha to the point of exhaustion. He never forgave him when that happened, the betrayal of the Uchiha was the binding memory that burned through his mind and edged it self into his heart as the becoming though that he would always look back too when he remembered.

But it wasn't worth it. They weren't worth it. He couldn't believe he had actually loved the banshee known as Sakura. He almos……

Thwack.

"What the hell was that for!" Naruto bellowed at Ino, rubbing the bump that came after the blonde girl's initial strike

"For spacing out while I was talking, urchin head!" Ino bellowed back.

"What the hell did you call me, you dumb blonde!" he asked/yelled at her.

"Dumb blonde….Dumb blonde!" she asked incredulously.

POW

Shikamaru and Choji stared sadly at their new teammate. It was their first time meating, not to mention they still didn't know hadn't introduced themselves whet the great witch known as Yamanaka Ino had decided she needed Taijutsu training, and that Naruto seemed to be a good practice dummy.

"Itai…." The hared their teammate groaning from the ground.

He slowly got up to eye position, staring at the two best friends before grining.

"Don't worry I already know you two. Lazy boy and Chip man right?" he inquired.

Shikamaru's eyebrow twitched, while Choji tried to look offended. Of course he wasn't, but he didn't want to be the third wheel of the group.

"Actually its Choji." Shikamaru said pointing to his round friend. "And Shikamaru." He finished, pointing to himself.

"Ohh…so its Chi chi." Naruto said, pointing to his round teammate. "And Bakamaru." He finished, pointing to the Nara.

Ino burst out laughing at that, sure the blonde haired blue eyed, not to mention pretty cute when he isn't wearing that forehead protector on his forehead, fox boy was troublesome, but if anyone could make Shikamaru at twitch like that, was ok in her book.

"Gomen, Gomen, I'm just joking around……How bout we go to my place and train?" he asked.

"Sure." Ino answered, ignoring Shikamaru's silent protest and Choji's glaring eyes.

"My aunt sent me some of her famous homemade onigiri, there should be some left in the fridge, and I marinaded some chicken and ribs last night." He told them. "I was actually thinking about barbe…" he never finished his sentence, seeing how Choji had suddenly grown three times his size and carried them off running towards the sunset.

'Should I tell him we're going the wrong way?' he asked himself.

>

Ino stared in awe as the entered the blonde boy's home, the traditional Japanese make of the house astounded her. The mansion wasn't anything like the Uchiha manor she had seen often in her Sasuke expeditions with Sakura, this place was more inviting. She noted as they had entered the estates, the genjutsu that the family had used to protect themselves. She also noted the mini village that was contained within the walls of the giant complex. The estates itself was about twice the size of the Hyuuga estates, the only thing not ugly looking about this place were the abandoned homes that stood in ruins.

As they walked through the paper slide doors of the manor, she stared intently at the blonde's servents. Seeing that all were dressed in the same manor as Hyuuga Hisashi, which she had seen often times when she went with her father to the meeting grounds.

"Oh yeah, don't mind them, their just here to look after me and the estates. Their sort of a early party for the rest of the clan, since their coming here the day after tomorrow." The blonde told her, when he caught sight of her curious look.

"You have a clan?" Shikamaru asked incredulously.

"Actually Bakamaru, I have three." The blonde told him proudly.

Ino paid no attention to the conversation between the three. Instead, she gazed around in wonder as they entered the main complex of the manor. The lay out of the manor was quit simple actually, it only consisted of the walls that surrounded the box shaped complex and the three buildings that served as a sleeping area of the main families.

The group entered the dining area, where they sat down to talk more about themselves as one of the blonde's servant/relative worked on the grill, preparing their lunch for the day.

"Why didn't you show Sakura this while you were still in team seven? I'm sure she would have been impressed." The blonde girl comented.

"Che…..Anyone who chases a person, just because of material wealth, isn't worth the said person's time." Naruto answered.

"I agree." Shikamaru stated, and Choji nodded signaling his agreement.

"So why are you telling us, and not them?" the girl asked.

"That's because you took the time to get to know me rather than just running off after the bastard. Anyone who gives me a second glance, deserves to know me better. If your just going to assume something that you don't already know about, then your not worth my time." He answered.

"We're having a party when my family arrives, I already know Ino and Shikamaru are coming, so what about you Choji, are you going to come or should I tell the cooks not too marinade anymore BBQ?" he asked the P.H.A.T boy, or so he liked to tell himself.

Faster then the eye could blink, Choji was in front of Naruto, kneeling before him showing great and profound respect.

"I would be greatly honored to accept your invitation, oh great king of shinobis." He told Naruto.

Naruto smiled nervously, backing away a little from his large, newfound friend.

"Ha ha ha, no need to do that, we are team mates aren't we?" he commented nervously.

"Hai, oh great Naruto sama." Choji answered.

Shikamaru, and Ino rolled their eyes simultaneously. Leave it to Choji to suck up to someone that offered him free food.

"So what are we going to do with the whole training thing?" asked Naruto, trying to lighten up the completely serious mood. Serious for Choji at least.

"I was thinking we could just spar, then go off watching clouds. I saw a hill on our way here, seems like a good spot to cloud watching at, with the sakura tree providing shade and all……" Shikamaru said.

"No…" Ino comented, "were already far behind as it is, and I don't want to loose to Sakura." She told them

"So we're just gonna spar?" asked Naruto.

"Well you two could spar. Me and Choji could work on our new attacks." Shikamaru told them.

"Sure….that could work." Comented Ino. "How bout you teaching me some of that fancy Kenjutsu you were using on the Monument?" she asked Naruto.

"Ha ha ha…No can do, their family techniques and I can't just give them to you unless we're married or something." He answered.

Shikamaru shivered at the thought of marriage with the Yamanaka Inoshi's "Sweet and Inocent", bright little girl

Ino on the other hand, contemplated on what teqniques she wanted to work on. And Choji, he just stared loningly at the grill master and his grill, inhaling the sweet and beautiful sent of the heaven that was BBQ.

>

In the suspicious looking room in the very suspicious looking Hokage's Tower, seven people sat around a crystal ball, observing the beginnings of team Ino-Shika-Cho-Naru.

"This is the start of a beautiful friendship." Nara Shikato commented, his wife, the Akemichi couple, and the Yamanakas nodded.

Sandaime just smiled, thinking of the food that Naruto's famous aunt Ayane was famous for.

"So their arriving in two days right?" he asked the couples.

"Yup……I cant wait to try Ayane san's famous round house devil's chocolate cake." Commented Chojimaru, his wife and the rest of the rooms attendees nodded in response.

Author's Notes: Please review and tell me what I did wrong. Don't flame though. (Chi Chi is japaneas for tits.)


	2. Chapter One

Chapter one: Thesis of Cruel Angels

He stood over a hill, overlooking the estates. His eyes glazed over, as his body, mindlessly, but gracefully, danced through the first kata of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. Anyone watching him would have thought he was fully concentrating on his movement, but in truth, his mind wondered to events in the past that had lead him to this unthreaded road.

Sandaime Hokage told him of the village's wrath for his destiny as the vessel of nine tails, telling him it was their blind ignorance that lead him to his mother's family.

He sighed at the thought.

The fanatical ignorance that was common with in the Leaf could sometimes be irritating. Looking back, he found himself amused at the shamed voice old man Sarutobi would use when he told him stories of the beginnings of his life. He would look at him with those wise but sad looking eyes and narrate the story of the night after Kyuubi's defeat.

It was only a few hours after Yondaime had sealed nine tails, he told him, when the village approached him looking for a permanent solution for their Kyuubi dilemma. They had taken it onto their hands to eliminate the fox's vessel and kill the fox demon once and for all. But, the boy's generous and loving aunty Ayane, who was here for his birth, protested, threatening the vengeance of the Uzumakis. The boy was their heir, she told them, and he was Haruka's only son. But they were indignant of their decision, telling her of their pains and misfortunes from the fox.

Her patience cut short, Ayane ordered her retainers to surround the blonde child, as she gathered his deceased mother's artifacts and prepared to leave. With her departure, Konoha's alliance with the old world samurai of the Uzumaki clan was dissolved.

At first, Sandaime told him, the villager's blamed the dissolution of the alliance on him. The ignorant idiots that they were, they even said it had been bad luck from his birth with in the village. It was only when he was three years old when Sandaime asked for him to be returned, and by that time, he had found out of his two other ancestry. It was actually then that the priest had exorcised nine tails from him, that the villagers had accepted Sandaime Hokage's reasoning.

The Uzumaki elders were furious at the Sandaime's proposal, they told they would never allow the last true blood Uzumaki into the hands of Konoha, just because of their mistreatment at his first few hours of life. They told him that only when the dishonor they had drawn by placing shame on the names of Uzumaki Naruto and Uzumaki Haruka was dissolved, only then would they allow Naruto or any other Uzumaki into the village. It seemed as though the nomadic Kazamas and the wealthy Yamanakas had the same view as his other guardians, for they too agreed to that decision.

It had actually had taken years just for old man Sarutobi to be able to see him walking through the paved streets of Konoha. Ten years to be exact, which is why he had joined the classes at the academy, so late in his life.

He shivered at the memory. When he came here, it seemed as though a law was placed on the children of Konoha not to be near Naruto. The decade's old grudge still held firm in the hearts of the people. Never the less, he knew of his family, of his origins and of their love for him, and so he persevered.

Ninjutsu was hardest on him since he had only the studied Kenjutsu that his clan teachers had taught him. And the only things he knew of the art of Ninpo, were the fragmented memories that the Kyuubi had left him as gifts for her sudden freedom. She wasn't truly free, but at least with in the sword, she would control her own reality. She may have been a demonic berserker that raged the lands since before the foundation of the shinobi countries, but no creature, no mater what race, kind, etc, deserved the fate Yondaime had condemned her to. To be slowly eaten away by, not getting a chance at redemption, not being able to be reborn, to just disappear as if you had never existed at all, a cruel fate reserved only for those without souls. And Kyuubi had a soul…………

At least, he reasoned, from with in the sword, the fate of those that would die by it would only be decided by the wielder.

He sighed mentally at the memory of Wave country……

He truly though he'd die back then, when the bastard Uchiha had discarded Kakashi's plan to fight along side him. With out him watching his back, he felt the wrath of Haku's senbon attack. The inner child that laid dormant with in him trembled. It had been the most painful, desperate, not to mention, life changing experience in his life. In those few moments, all his views on living with out a cause had dispersed. The thought of dying, the thought of his aunt's mourning, the thought of just disappearing with out really leaving his mark on the world terrified him. Hell, he had faced greater pains than that, but the thought of his almost death scared the shit out of him.

'I can't die a yet……Not while I'm still a virgin.' The same inner child that had trembled just seconds before, nodded sagely at the blonde's "Wise Reasoning."

Naruto unconsciously gripped Kyuubi as he remembered the great exorcist. The pain he had suffered still gave him nightmares, but the entertainment in her memories amused him to no end. It was his past time to skim with in the recesses of his mind, trying to unlock the great knowledge the demon fox had left him. Form them, he recovered lost languages, wrote maps to the ancient cities that once riddled the world, and recovered fighting styles known only in legends. His particular favorite was the Hiten Mitsurugi sword style of what the Kyuubi called the revolutionary era of an ancient continent called Japan, the continent the people of the shinobi countries were thought to have originated from.

"Oi Naruto!" her aunt called him, knocking him out of his stupor, from the bottom of the hill. "Your team mates are waiting for you!" she finished.

"I'm coming." He answered.

Placing Kyuubi into her sheath, Naruto buckled it down onto the sash that held down his plane whitekimono. Annoying thing he thought, but Ayane wanted him to dress like a proper Uzumaki, so he had dawned the offending material.

**_(i)_**

From the bottom of the hill, Ino once again stood fascinated at her fellow blonde's attractiveness. The grace and balance he had with every step, the cool and relaxed grin that adorned his face, the way the white kimono accentuated his toned figure.

She inhaled quickly, trying to cover the blush that now adorned her face. Of to the side, Shikamaru grinned, observing her reactions to his blonde haired team mate. 'Ahhh, young love' he thought sarcastically.

She blushed harder when his blue eyes met with her own. She didn't know when she started acting like this. Perhaps it was when she, along with Shikamaru and Choji, had met the blonde's entire family. They were a strange group. When they had arrived just a few weeks ago, she had thought they were from some rich noble's family, with the way the samurai retainers had surrounded the blonde boy's aunt. The farmers, and commoners that followed the main party, just served to enhance the element of respect that flowed around the Uzumaki clan.

A few moments later, a group of about two hundred, including the woman and children arrived at the gates, followed by a group of ordinary looking merchants. She found out latter, they were the Kazama and the Yamanaka main house. She stood by the blonde as he communed with his family, and later they had been introduced.

She just wished she had…..

"Oi, Ino! I've been calling at you for the last five minuets!" Naruto's obnoxious voice broke into her thoughts.

POW.

She once again, delivered a strike that was strong enough to send him six feet under, literally.

'Mental note: Tread carefully when around Ino' Choji and Shikamaru though simultaneously.

"Why? Why must I suffer such unlabored violence?" Naruto asked the heavens.

"Anyway, we came to see if your going to the festival." Ino told him.

"What festival?" Naruto asked dumbly.

"The festival for the chunin exam" Shikamaru sighed.

"Yeah, and there's lots of food too, so me and Shikamaru are going." Choji remarked.

"Oh…….Yeah, I guess. The one being held this weekend right?" Naruto tried to clarify.

"Yeah, that one." Ino answered.

"Yeah, I'm going……" he told them.

"Great, now lets go swimming." The blond girl remarked.

"How troublesome……" Shikamaru commented.

The four walk of to the Manor to pick up some food for their picnic. It had become a custom for them to do so every Wednesdays. It had been Ino's idea of team bonding, to go off and have picnics by the river that flowed through the training grounds of the village.

"We'll be going off now Ayane obasan!" Naruto yelled at his aunt before they left.

As the four walked out of the estate grounds, Ino took her time to examine the three guys on her team. Naruto, the heir of three legendary clans, Shikamaru, a genius of over 200, and Choji, an heir to one of the Leaf's backbone clan. She smiled a little at those facts, maybe they weren't Uchihas or Hyuugas, but they sure as hell weren't pathetic.

As they walked through the winding streets of the Leaf, she observed the Uzumaki heir for a little while more. He had discarded that foolish mask a long while ago, and even though he was a bit loud, he still had manners and grace that rivals that of Hyuugas. The air he carried him self in, was the same heir she felt and saw whenever she came around one of the Samurai retainers of the Uzumaki clan.

"So did you invite anyone else?" the little blonde samurai asked her.

"Um yeah." She answered, a little startled. "A friend of mine named Tenten and her teammate Lee." She told him.

Naruto sighed as he continued walking, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the wondering gazes of the villagers. He had a lot of work to do, living up to the clans reputations.

"Ino chan." He called, startling his teammates with the way he addressed Ino.

"We should hurry…" he finished simply.

**(II)**

Sandaime Hokage sighed at Hatake Kakashi. It had been the third time this week, the Jounin had come demanding of the return of his pupil. And frankly, he was getting annoyed. Couldn't he see it was for the good of the teams that Naruto was taken away from him. Naruto and Sasuke's point of views clashed too much, and because of that, they constantly fought against each other to prove otherwise. And the incident in wave country a month ago didn't help anyone.

He was a bit disappointed in Uchiha, quite frankly. His brother would have been ashamed with the way he chose to ignore a team's plan and to try and prove himself by taking on the opponent himself. He left an opening for the opponent to strike, and Naruto came as close to death than he and the village council would have liked.

The council knew of the boy's origins, which would be the reason they had elected Kakashi to be his teacher. Believing they could preserve the indomitable belief in loyalty that came to the boy by nature. But the way the Jounin had chose to ignore the blonde, they went on to the next best choice, which was Sarutobi's own son, Asuma.

That decision paid of as the four teens grew close, with the chunin exam so close they needed all the teams strong enough to compete. It would be hard though, trying to convince the other Kages to let a four man team compeat.

"Kakashi kun, please understand that decision came unanimously in the council, and that I cannot do anything to override that decision." Sarutobi told Kakashi. "Besides, with Naruto off your team, and the new teammate your getting tomorrow, you'll have a more peaceful team than your old one."

Kakashi sighed, disappointedly.

'Sasuke…' he thought angrily. 'He's worse than trash………..' the quote that Yondaime once told him came running around in his head.

**(III)**

"Those that discard rules are trash." Naruto commented out of the blue "And those that disregard a teammate or a comrade are below trash." He finished.

"Huh?" Choji looked at him strangely.

"Oh…Just something Kakashi sensei told me………" he thought back to the time when he, along with Sasuke, and Sakura fought together for the right of being genin.

"Good quote though…" commented Choji, as he sat by a sleeping Shikamaru. " Kinda reassures me that I have some one watching my back for me." He told Naruto truthfully.

The blonde opened his eyes to look at Choji curiously. He smiled at his analogy and went back to meditation.

Ino how ever chose this time to relax. She slept by Naruto, thinking of what to ware to show off her rival Sakura.

"Come to think of it…….Where is Sakura?" she asked no one.

"She's probably stalking Sasuke." Shikamaru answered her from his laid down position.

"Speaking of stalkers, there's someone in the woods….." Naruto commented offhandedly. "Probably your friends Ino." He continued.

"Hey Ino!" a dark haired girl called as she walked out of the woods. Dressed in a regular pair of jeans and a dark red t-shirt, her eyes glittered with curiosity as she watched the group.

"Hey Tenten!" Ino called out to her. "Come on! Let me introduce you to my teammates!"

Naruto watched closely as the girl approached. It had been in his time in team seven when he had come to the conclusion that women were indeed the most dangerous creatures in this world. Which is perhaps why sanins like Orochimaru, liked to emulate them. Upon further analysis with the only female member of his new team, Naruto came up with further evidence to back up his brilliant hypothesis.

'Must tread carefully, for the grounds I now walk on are indeed very volatile.' He thought. Such close proximity with two members of the said dangerous race was indeed a gamble for life.

He mustered up his pride, and acted on the manners that Ayane had drilled into him when he was but a young foxy lad in the old village. He bowed respectfully to the girl, as all samurai did in the presence of ladies.

"Chikoshiokai sasete, hajimemashite. Watashi no namae wa Uzumaki Naruto desu. Doso yoroshiku." He said softly, not paying attention to the way Ino gawked in surprise, or the way Choji stared at him admirably.

Off to the side, Shikamaru observed the blushing new comer and the surprised Ino. As Ino's surprise progressed into anger, Shikamaru smirked at the blonde's eternal obliviousness. 'Am I the only one that could see Ino falling for Uzumaki' he though in amusement.

When Tenten had approached the group, she had never expected the soft spoken blonde to talk to her with such grace. The way he smiled warmly at her brought butterflies to her stomach, the way he bowed, the soft tone of his voice when he had introduced himself, the way his aura made her feel welcome, she knew immediately that he was noble, or at least raised in a noble family.

"Onamae wa?" Naruto asked.

She blushed even more before answering.

"Ano Naruto _kun_, you shouldn't be so formal……Ikageta Tenten desu….and…..Dozo yoroshiku." She told him.

Ino for her part, felt somewhat angered at the blonde boy for what she thought was flirting. He didn't act this way when they had first met, granted that she was following him around. But that wasn't the point, the point was that he should've treated her the same.

'And Naruto _kun_! She only knew him for a little less then thrity seconds and now she's calling him Naruto _kun_!'

Choji however, vowed to follow Naruto example. He had seen the cherry red blush that had graced Tenten's face and had decided that he was the perfect example of a gentleman. That great ability to plant admiration into a girls mind was something he needed to make sure the clan continued.

Naruto smiled at the new girl before nodding to her.

"One must always remain polite in the presence of a lady." He told her, not knowing of the fire that he had inadvertently fueled.

"Excuss me?" asked an outraged Ino. "How come your never this polite to me?" she asked trembling with rage.

"Huh?" came his brilliant reply. "Why would I be polite to and uncute tomboy like you, you uncute tomboy?" he asked him bewilderedly.

'Baka….' Shikamaru though, closing his eyes to avoid the inevitable pummeling his blonde teammate was soon to suffer.

POW

As the other blonde laid on the ground twitching, Ino realized that she had just discovered a kinjutsu, 'mallet no jutsu'.

**(IV)**

She sighed, staring at the group from her hiding spot. She knew it was her mistake that lead to the team loosing a member, and she knew she was supposed to apologize to him.

Sakura was shocked at first when she had seen them getting along so nicely. Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji seemed to be the teammate that she and Sasuke never were. She also was surprised at the way he acted around his new team.

With them, he had been more obnoxious and annoying, but with Ino's group. He was graceful and acted with wisdom and tact, she didn't know he had. It was funny how assumptions always lead to disaster for her. She sighed sadly, and stood up, turning to walk away, as she had failed yet again to gather her courage to apologize.

She remembered how he had almost died when in Wave country, and it was Sasuke's fault. She chose to ignore that fact and had blamed the whole ordeal on Naruto's ignorance. When she told her parents how stupid the blonde was, she was shocked to see them actually disappointed in her.

The blonde's mask of ignorance was truly good. To be able to fool the people around him, including her self. And yet she felt a little insulted that he didn't think she was good enough to see who he truly was. Granted, she didn't exactly try to look beyond the blonde boy's mask, but that wasn't the point.

He had deliberately fooled her, and she was not happy with that. After all, wasn't she his crush. She felt tears streak down her face with the way he had told them of after their return.

He told Sasuke that he was weak and would always be weak, and that he would never be enough to defeat his brother. He told him that the way he was acting, he was only dragging the Uchiha name into the mud, that he would have been ashamed if he had been one of his relatives. He told him, that right after he had beaten the day lights out of him for turning his back on him on the bridge. For abandoning him when Naruto himself would have died that day for him.

"I almost lead myself to believe you were a good friend." He said. "But it seems all you Uchiha's know how to do is turning your backs from people."

And her……

Hot tears streaked down her face when she remembered what he said to her.

"I thought you were good and smart enough to a genin……But I seem to have been wrong about that. Your stupidity and your blind fandom of the Uchiha bastard truly sickens me…….I would fear for my life if he had told you to kill me……Not that I would actually be afraid because your already weaker than the most…….Your father would be ashamed of you, the great ninja that he is……Sarutobi sama, told me of his great loyalty to all his teammates, and his dedication to the being a shinobi. You…Your just dedicated to shaming your self in the name of your so called love. Which might I add is nothing but childish infatuation for something you don't understand……..I can't believe that I was in love with you…." He said before turning his back on the both of them and walking off.

When she returned home, her parents were disappointed even more when she told them of that day's incident. He was born with a greater burden than Sasuke, they told her. A fate so terrible, that Sandaime Hokage made a law to disallow anyone to talk about it. If he had told her she had problems, they said, the she did have problems.

His father was mad at Naruto until she told him the reason why he had yelled at them. Sasuke had turned his back on him and she had faithfully told Naruto that he wasn't good enough compared to Sasuke, that he didn't know of the great pains that the Uchiha knew. Her father yelled at her for saying that, inadvertently telling her of the pain he endured for the leaf.

She couldn't believe her ears when she hared he was the vessel of nine tails. He had seen greater prejudice on the beginnings of his life, and had experienced harsh realities that no teenager should ever know. And knowing that alone pained her to no end. Sasuke may have lost his family, but Naruto's family had died to protect her and her parents. And his well being was sacrificed so that she could live the life she had as a child. She knew then that Naruto deserved her kindness.

But it seemed the pain of a broken heart could not be easily mended. And seeing the way he avoided them, the way he acted indifferent when they met on the street, she knew he had not forgiven her.

She walked down the path warily, sadly reminiscing that which was and dreaming of that which should have been………

'I will be strong, I will not put myself in situations like Sasuke had, and I will never put another friend in the line of fire, nor will I ever put anyone ahead of another like I had in the past' she vowed, making a promise to herself, and a lost fox boy she though she knew.

**(V)**

Naruto smiled, looking at the direction where Sakura had been. If she had started trying to apologize to him, then maybe they could start over. This time, with out plaguing their relationship with obscene assumptions of love and idiocy the once had.

'I forgive you Sakura…….' He told the girl mentally.

**(VI)**

She gasped when she hared some one tell her of their acceptance. Turning her back, she stared in shock of the fox boy's smiling face. She smiled thankfully before turning to make her way out of the training grounds.

"Oi Sakura chan!" she heard him call. "Why don't you come over here and have some fun with us?" he asked her.

Gathering her courage, she stopped walking, and turned running to them. Happy that "Kami was back in Heaven and all was right in the world, once again".

To Be continued.

Author's notes.

To the reviewers, I hope this chapter clears up all the confusion you must have had erlier. As for the terms that were used:

Kenjutsu dose not mean "forbidden technique." But actually, the way of the sword. Its Kinjutsu, notice the "I" after the "K", that means forbidden technique.

And no, Naruto wasn't raised in the leaf, but rather with his family in the Samurai village. He just came to Konoha after his tenth year.

And the fact that Hiten Mitsurugi is mentioned in this chapter, is no coincidence. I'm trying to make the history of the shinobi world richer, and to make Naruto a unique character like all the rest of the other shinobis.

His bloodlines however will not come into play until a certain part in the story, most likely the chunin selection exam.

Please note, if you've had some confusion with the introduction of Tenten, and the Japanese wordings that I used, tell me and I will write down translations on later chapters.


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two: Midsummer Night's Dream

The eve of the festival had arrived and all of Konoha was alive. As he walked through the streets of Konoha, rubbing the four lumps that had graced his head, he took his time to ask himself and Kami sama, what he had done to deserve such a cruel and unusual fate?

'How the hell did Ino come up with that jutsu anyway?' he asked himself.

He entered Ichiraku ramen stand, before sighing dejectedly. "Women are so troublesome.." he remarked.

"Haaa." Someone sighed in agreement.

"Too true…" a second person offered. "What happened to you?" he asked Naruto.

"Well, she asked me if she looked to fat to me, and I told her no. So she says " would you accompany me to the shopping district then?" and I tell "No" cause I got a meeting with Ichiraku, and Pow!" he struck his hand into his fist, emphasizing the pain he felt. "Some random mallet pops out of nowhere hitting me in four spots on the head simultaneously." He told them.

The two other man grimaced at the blonde boy's explanation.

"So you've met Mallet sama?" another guy asked.

"Mallet sama?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Hai…Mallet sama, the greatest weapon ever created. It is said that it was forged in the fiery pits of the great volcanoes of an island that was believed to be the nesting grounds of Giants. The weapon itself is said to have decimated entire cities, killing thousands in its wake. But for some reason, only women can summon it." The man answered.

"You aren't joking aren't you?" Naruto asked sarcastically.

"No he isn't boy." Old man Ichiraku told him. "It is often called the 'Bane of womanly Rage' because of its great power." He said.

The three other guys nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, people often classify it as a bloodline, because it manifests it self only on women. Most times, it chooses the most violent and most dangerous woman to show itself to." The fat one continued for Ichiraku.

"Is it that strong?" Naruto asked, a bit afraid now.

"Yeah…… I've been facing it for years now. The minute it casts as itself over your life, it is said that your are forever bound to the slavery of the one that had brought it upon you." The skinny one said to him.

"Let me guess……. This isn't the first time you've had an encounter with Mallet sama." The blonde one asked him, when he saw the blonde boy tremble.

"I'm doomed!" the blonde boy cried, rivers of tears streamed down his face. Sucking up his breath, Naruto stood up. If he was going to die this young in life he might as well have his last meal.

"NARUTO!" the guys hared a female voice roar.

"Don't let her get me!" the blonde boy cried, jumping into the arms of the Ichiraku Ayame.

"Naruto! You promised me to that we'd train together, so what the hell are you doing here?" the feminine voice asked.

Naruto had his eyes closed the minute he hared that voice. He feared for the worst, so he took it onto himself to write down his last will and testament.

"Naruto! Naruto! Naruto! Are you even listening!" the voice asked, as the said female looked at the blonde bewildered.

"In the name of Kami sama, impure souls of the living dead shall be cast forever into eternal damnation. Amen." He told the said demon when he finished his will. Putting one chopstick into another and forming a cross, the blonde strode forward bravely.

POW

Only to be cast aside like an insect in the face of "Mallet sama".

"Hey dad." Ino called to her father. "We're going to practice at the Uzumaki estates, so tell mom I'm going to be late." She said before dragging the twitching blonde boy out of Ichiraku.

"He was a brave one." Chojimaru commented when they were out of sight.

"Indeed…To face the wrath of a Mallet sama with out even blinking…."Shikato continued, mournfully.

"Aye…..If my daughter had inherited even a bit of her mother's temper, then we could be sure that this might be the last time we will ever see the boy." Inoshi told them.

"Let us have a moment of silence for the dearly departed Uzumaki." Ichiraku addressed them. And four thirty full seconds, Ichiraku ramen stand was quite in mourning.

"INOSHI!" a certain female blonde woman yelled from a distance.

"CHOJIMARU!"

"SHIKATO!'

"DAD!"

"WE'RE DOOMED." All four man jumped behind the counter, preparing for the fight of their lives.

**(i)**

The men of Konoha looked on in silent admiration at the blonde that had stridden so bravely in face of great danger. They too remembered times when they suffered such terrible fates as he just had moments before. Now, as the blonde girl dragged his twitching form across the streets of Konoha, they took of their hats and mourned for the passing of one as great as he was.

That was before they too, hared the familiar screams of their wives and daughters.

And thus it was that the youth of Konoha found out one inevitable truth that lay beyond all truths:

"The male race was forever cursed with the fate of being 'So whipped'"

**(ii)**

"Naruto?" Choji asked as they spared.

"Yeah?" Naruto responded.

"How did you get Tenten to blush?" he asked the blonde.

"Don't know. Just lucky I guess. Why do you want to know, though?" Naruto asked.

"Well……There's this girl that I've been meaning to talk to….." he told the blonde. " And I want to know how to make her blush like you did Tenten." Choji finished.

"Well….That's pretty easy. All you need to do is stay polite like Ayane obassan told me. She says that women will always fall for politeness." Naruto said to him. "But…….are you sure you want to get this girl's attention?" he asked Choji.

"Yeah…." Choji responded.

"You got to know the dangers though." Naruto said as he punched forward.

"And those are?" Choji asked, blocking.

"Well, one must never anger females, for to face the furry of 'Mallet Sama' is the greatest danger, one would face." Naruto told him sagely, blocking Choji's hand.

"And on would assume you'd follow your own advice." Their teacher commented.

"Huh?" Naruto looked at Asuma bewilderedly. "But Asuma sensei, I'm always polite to women." He told him.

"What about Ino?" Asuma asked.

Ino and Shikamaru stopped sparing to look and hear what the blonde boy would say.

"Ino ain't no lady." He told his sensei. "A lady must always remain proper, even at the face of ridicule. That's what Obaa san told me." He finished.

Ino seriously considered pummeling Naruto when he made that 'Ain't no lady comment'. She refused to act with such violence that her mother had pointed out when they talked together. She did however hit him with Mallet sama when he told what he shouldn't have told Asuma.

"Besides, why would one be polite to an Uncute tomboy like her?" he asked offhandedly.

POW

He flew off towards the horizon, as his friends and teacher shook their heads in disappointment.

**(iii)**

"Hey!" Naruto called out as he flew. He saw the red spec about thirty seconds into his flight, and now he aimed to start a conversation.

"How'd you get up here?" he asked the red head as they flew into a parallel flight trajectory.

"Isn't it obvious?" the read head asked him. "The same way as you did, by mallet sama." He finished.

"Ohhhhh." Naruto responded.

"Yeah." The red head responded dejectedly. "So what did you do?" He asked the blonde.

"I just told my teacher the truth." Naruto answered.

"And what's that?" the red head asked.

"That the girl we're sitting next to was an Uncute tomboy." He told the red head.

The red head smiled at that.

"Hey!" he said excitedly. "That's why I'm here too."

"By the way, I'm Naruto." Naruto told the red head, stretching his hand forward to shake.

"Ranma." The redhead told him.

"KYAAAAAAA" the two teens heard as another male fly into the same flight trajectory as they had.

"Hey Keitaro! Caught peeking again?" Ranma asked the brown haired twenty year old as they came parallel.

"I was an accident!" the guy yelled at them, "and, Oh….who might you be?" Keitaro asked Naruto.

"Uzumaki Naruto, at your service." The blonde told him, repeating the gesture he had with Ranma.

"Urashima Keitaro, like wise." Responded the man.

"Uhh guys…..What the hell is that?" Ranma asked his two acquaintances.

"I don't know…..Looks like a giant…….Wait a minuet, Is that an island!" Naruto asked stupidly.

"New guy?" Keitaro asked Ranma.

"Yeah." The redhead answered before the group fell down, screeching at the top of their lungs.

**(iv)**

It was a dripping wet Uzumaki Naruto that strode into Ichiraku ramen stand that night. He took his seat besides Shikato, and his group before ordering a bowl of miso ramen from old man Ichiraku. He had a lot of things to think about tonight, and a bowl or twenty of ramen just might help relive some of his stress.

"So tomorrow's the festival eh?" he asked his counter parts.

"Yeah." Replied Shikato, before turning to him mischievously, "Is there some special girl your going to ask out for the festival?" he asked Naruto.

Naruto used his time to chew on his ramen, trying to think up a good excuse for the grinning Shikato, the sniggering Chojimaru and a…

'Wait a minute…..Is Inoshi san glaring at me?' he asked himself.

"Ummm…..No." he told them. "I know who Shikamaru wants to ask though, and who Choji's going with." He told them.

Shikato and Chojimaru cried with pride, their boys were definitely just like them.

"So, who's Choji going with?" Chojimaru asked excitedly. "Is it a Hyuuga, the Haruno girl, or maybe even Kurenai." He asked, feeling his pride swell.

"Actually no… He told me it was some woman named Anko. Don't know who she is though." Naruto told him.

Chojimaru paled, whispering something about sadists and snakes before he passed out from what Naruto assumed was pride.

'This Anko must be one hot number.' He thought.

"And why aren't you going with someone?" asked the blonde haired father.

"Ohhh… Um…Don't know, never thought about going with someone I guess. Besides, I gotta look after Ayane Obba san's daughter, Rei." Naruto told him.

"Well, I could always get Ino to help you." Inoshi told him.

"No, that wouldn't be right, she deserves her time off. Besides, I think she'd rather ran off chasing the bastard Uchiha before she'd give me the time of day." Naruto replied.

'If you only knew.' The three fathers thought when they heard Naruto's remark.

"No no no, I'm sure she'd be more than glad to help you with Rei chan." Inoshi told him before returning to his ramen.

**(v)**

With his hunger sedated, the blonde boy started his trek home. The estates weren't very far, but from his midday flight, to his long trek home, to the argument that broke out with him and Inoshi when he commented that Ino was an "Uncute tomboy", Naruto was worn out. He strode tiredly across the bridge that was once the meeting spot for his old team and sighed. Before him, Sakura stood, watching across the night sky, looking as beautiful as ever.

"Hey." He called out to the girl. "What are you up to?" he asked.

"Oh….Just admiring the harvest moon." She told him.

Despite the answer, Naruto could hear the telltale signs of despondence that was present in the girl's voice. She'd been talking to Sasuke, he concluded.

"Told you, you were annoying huh?" he asked.

"Yeah….." she answered dejectedly.

"You know……He isn't worth your time right?" he asked her.

The girl turned to him in disbelief. He just smiled and turned skywards, his blue eyes accentuated by the glow of the harvest moon.

"You shouldn't spend too much time vying for someone's attention, when the fool keeps leading you on." He told her.

"Like you?" she asked, smiling sadly.

"No…… I spent my time flirting with a girl that told me off. Sasuke just leads you one, never telling you if he likes you or not…." He trailed of at the end.

"Maybe you should spend sometime with Ino……. Mend up old wound that should've healed a long time ago……" he said.

"Maybe." She said, starting to smile.

"And if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm always here for you……….Sakura chan." He told her while he walked off, disappearing into the night as he had appeared.

Sakura smiled as the blonde left. Since when had he become so cool and understanding? She asked herself as the boy vanished. Staring up at the glorious moon, she smiled a bit at the way he had mended up her little genin heart.

"Just like a big brother." She told herself, smiling a bit at the remark.

In his hidden perch, Kakashi smiled at the interaction between Naruto and Sakura.

"At least he's still warm hearted." He said offhandedly.

**(vi)**

The morning sun rose upwards into the heavens, intent on torturing the little fox boy. It had become a hobby of his, waking up the little genin in the middle of his sleep. And never a day went by that his cruel tricks always found its way into the blonde boy's life. He was the sun, he always told himself, he was the supreme commander of this universe, and thus it was his duty to train his charges to follow his strict regimen. It was only a coincidence that Naruto was the only one he shined brightly for. Besides, he liked the little fox boy.

As the said fox boy slowly awoke to the morning sun, he for the thousand time in his life, asked himself if the sun was out to get him. He had become a bit suspicious at the said offender, for some reason, he always felt the rays of the morning sun more brightly than other people.

"Damned Naruto, now that's just ridiculous." He told himself. He strode into the indoor onsen, taking off his cloths and relaxing in the heated bath.

"Kami sama's gift to humanity." He commented offhandedly.

Settling himself to a comfortable position, he let his mind wander to the subject of Team Seven, and the survivor of the Wave mission. Haku, one of the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on had lived. In his blind rage at the Uchiha for putting him into a dangerous position, he had forgotten to eliminate the said female.

When he was brought out of his stupor, he had noticed the man that had hired the two missing nins, as he commented on their worthlessness. Zabuza, in his final act of honor and redemption had paid with his life for the freedom of the girl, making Kakashi promise to bring her to the Leaf.

Then he remembered something. He promised Zabuza on his honor as an Uzumaki, that he'd look after the girl as he would his own blood. When the man died, he could see the distinct smile that had graced his face. That smile, he thought, was the same smile he'd wish he would were on the day of his death. The smile of a man that didn't look back, a man that didn't regret living for he had lived to the fullest.

"What are you smiling about Naruto sama?" a feminine voice asked him.

"Oh….just fond memories of a man I look up to as a forgotten hero." He told the disembodied voice.

"May I know this hero's name?" the voice asked him.

"Oh…. Its just……Kyaaaaaaa!" he screamed, running out of the onsen , when he realized something was amiss.

The Uzumaki-Kazama-Yamanaka household woke up to a screaming heir that morning. The male servants and retainers would later comment with pride that their lord was indeed a man among men, while the females would just blush and smile dreamily when the said lord graced them with his presence.

As this all happened, Uzumaki Ayane stared fondly at his nephew as he ran out of the onsen buck naked. A few hours before Naruto had arrived last night, a girl name Haku had arrived, pledging her eternal loyalty to the three clans and to her 'Naruto sama' as she had put it. This morning it seemed, she had been graced with the presence of her new lord.

**(vii)**

The elders of the three great clans gathered around in the meeting hall to discuss the subject of Haku. While they had decided unanimously that the girl would stay with them as Naruto's new personal retainer and servant, the blonde boy had declined, arguing that servant hood was something he didn't need.

"But Naruto sama, you told Zabuza that you'd take care of me." Haku argued tearly. "Is Naruto sama not pleased with me?" she asked softly.

"No Haku chan." Responded the blushing blonde boy. "It isn't that I'm not happy with you or anything, its just that, I promised to look after you and take care of you. Not put you into servant hood." He told her.

"But I'm happy with these arrangement." She told him. "Am I not worthy of the honor that I wish to bestowed upon?" she asked.

"B bu b b b b but." He tried to respond, he honestly did, but Naruto nor any foolish male had or could ever design a good countermeasure to 'teary eyed beautiful girl no jutsu'.

"Fine." He relented. "I Uzumaki Naruto accept the terms of servant hood and retainer ship of Haku. But under the conditions that she is to become a member of the three great houses, with all the rights and privileges that is shared among us."

The council would not object to the boy's demands for he was the shining example of all heirs they wished to have. And the addition of Haku into their midst was a good enough reason not to object. The soft spoken girl was a good cook, and one must always accept the gifts that Kami sama graces them with unquestionable loyalty. After all, was it not fate that gave them such a marvelous chef?

**(vii)**

The trio walked down the street, marveling the sights and wonders at every vendor in the shopping district. The morning had been disastrous with Naruto, with Haku trying to assist him in everything, from getting his kimono on, to feeding him personally at the breakfast table. When she had found out that he would take Rei into town to visit the festival vendors, her eyes had started to glitter. As he walked, with his blonde haired cousin on his shoulders, down the street, he knew just what Haku planed for them this day.

"Hey Naruto!" he heard his teammate's calls from behind them. The group turned to see the sight of Choji, Shikamaru, and Ino running towards them.

"Whose this?" Ino asked as they had closed.

"Ohh…this is Haku chan. Haku chan, this is Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akemichi Choji, their my team mates." He said.

"Dozo yoroshiku." Haku remarked to her lord's friends.

"Like wise." Ino responded, looking at Naruto suspiciously.

"I'm Naruto sama's new retainer." She told the group.

"Ohh…"

"Hi Ino nee san!" Rei yelled from her perch.

The blonde girl smiled, stretching her arms at the little blonde Uzumaki. Rei jumped into Ino's arms readlily, smiling at her sister figure before yelling for them to go get candy. The group strode off into the crowds, looking for things to do.

**(viii)**

"So Naruto, who are you taking to the festival tonight?" Haku asked a the group walked through the crowded streets.

"Don't know yet. Anyone who'd like to look after Rei with me, I guess." He told her truthfully.

"Yeah, about that…." Ino said, breaking into the conversation. "Dad told me help you with that…….Said something about strengthening the bonds between us two."

"What the hell does that mean, though?" the blonde boy asked her.

"Well Naruto, what she means is, he fath…" Choji tried to finish but Shikamaru had his hand over his mouth.

"What he means is that you two need to stop fighting." He finished for Choji.

"Che, only if she stops using that damned mallet on me." Naruto told Shikamaru indifferently.

"By the way, where were you yesterday? Naruto sama." Asked Haku.

Naruto blushed when he thought about yesterday's bashing.

"I was……umm…I was training." He lied.

Choji and Shikamaru shook their heads, while Rei giggled.

"Ano Naru chan?" the little blonde girl asked. "How come you had all those bumps on your head? Oka san told me you only train with the sword. Did you hit your self by mistake?" she continued cutely.

Naruto's embarrassed blush only intensified. He was about to answer her when Rei caught sight of her mother.

"OKA SAN!" she yelled running towards his aunt.

"Hello Rei chan. How was your day?" Ayane asked as she neared the group.

"It was good oka san. Haku chan took me to all the candy stalls, see." She said holding up her bag of candy. "Then Ino nee chan, bashed Naru chan with a big hammer." She continued giggling. "And then, Chi chi got into an yelled at a stall person. He said that the Bar bi kuu tasted funny." She finished.

"What's bar bi kuu , oka san? Is it something good to eat?" she asked her mother.

Ayane only kept nodding to her little girl, keeping her attention on her nephew.

"Hai Rei chan. And its nor Bar bi kuu, its Barbeque." She told her before addressing her nephew.

"Naruto kun, are you ready for your first performance with Rei chan?" she asked.

"Hai, Ayane oba san. We'll go home and get dressed at sunset. Rei chan's kimono should be ready by now, and her I had Hiroshi san clean her ceremonial sword for tonight." He answered.

"Good….Then all is going well for tonight. Be sure to take Ino chan and Haku chan to a good restaurant before sundown." She said knowingly.

"Huhh?" he questioned bewilderedly.

"Or would you three boys rather go with the girls shopping?" she asked them.

"Ohh….Ayane sama we don't have any money." Ino pointed out.

"Didn't Naruto tell you? He had several hundred ryos taken out of the family bank for tonight's festival. That should be enough for Haku chan's new wardrobe and some new clothes for you Ino chan. Besides, Tadashi san told me that some merchant friends of the Yamanaka main house would be arriving today to sell their products, and knowing them, they should have some fine silk kimonos for purchase." Ayane informed.

The three boys palled at the notion of spending the day at the shopping district. They tried to run away, but two newcomers prevented their great escape.

"INO CHAN!" Sakura yelled from a distance. "There's some new stands opening, and their sell great kimonos for extremely low prices." She told them.

"Yeah." Another voice continued. "And we NEED STRONG MEN to HELP us carry our bags." Tenten told her.

Clutching Gema Chan, his wallet, possessively, Naruto stared up to the morning sky in despair.

"NOOOOOOO!" he cried, but alas, Gema chan's fate was decided the day she was purchased.

Choji and Shikamaru cried out for an entirely different reason, but as the children of the Leaf found out yesterday, the Males of the world were indeed truly and utterly 'Whipped.'

**(ix)**

Elsewhere in the Leaf, the three amigos, otherwise known as Shikato, Inoshi and Chojimaru, entered the greatest café that had ever graced the village of Konoha. A few months ago, old man Ichiraku and Uzumaki Ayane had struck a deal, forming the new Ichiraku/Uzumaki ramen café. With Ayane's pastry of the gods and Ichiraku's world renowned ramen, the two knew they'd make a killing. They had decided to open the new ramen bar/ tea shop-café on the day of the festival to attract more customers. And it looked as if their plan had indeed worked.

As the three amigos strode into the ramen bar/ tea shop café , they cried tears of joy, tears they had once shed only at their wedding and on the night the became 'men'. All the sake they would ever need, all the ramen they could ever want and cheap but extremely good tea and pastries to boot. This place the three concluded, was indeed heaven on earth. And it was here in this sanctuary, they believed, that even the evils of the notorious 'Mallet Sama' would not deter them from enjoying life to its fullest.

**(x)**

As the moon raised itself to the highest peak in the sky, Yamanaka Ino watched, with a blushing face, as the boy that had plagued her mind these past few months approached the stage with his little cute cousin. Walking forward in all his gory, Ino concluded that the blonde, indeed, did look extremely handsome when he wanted to be. As he took the center stage along with Rei, Ino noticed other blushing faces in the audience.

"Naruto Kun….." she heard the some random girl whisper dreamily as the boy introduced himself and his little cousin. She knew that the boy didn't know these girls and for that she had faith that she had time to sort out her emotions. Haku had told her today when they were alone that she looked at Naruto only as a good lord rather than a potential boyfriend. Haku, in fact, was very much interested in their teammate Shikamaru, and that was further proved when she glared at the girl Shikamaru brought to the festival that night.

She watched in awe as the blonde and his little cousin settled into the first stance of Uzumaki Ryu. The other stance she had seen him use was more of a practical stance than that of beauty, this stance was created solely for the practice of the Dance of the Swirling crane, a renowned dance that had blessed the eyes of only the nobles of the shinobi country.

"Beautiful…" Tenten's caught up voice startled her. She turned to the girl curiously, hoping against hope that she had not caught on to the blonde boy's rarity.

"Tenten?" Ino asked, with a bit of dread in her voice.

"Ohh….Its just that, the way Naruto kun and Rei chan…….The grace their displaying, the simultaneous slashes and strikes….Its a skill to be admired……Though it is expected from a samurai noble family, it is still beautiful all the same." The older girl told her distantly.

"Ohhh…." Ino replyed, a bit relieved. 'At least she isn't going after them…….. And she right too…..They dance together as if they were a part of each other.' She thought as she watched the swirling motions of the Uzumakis on stage. A little while longer, all the lights were extinguished and only the brilliant glow of the high moon illuminated the area. Off to the side, Haku performed a silent jutsu, allowing snow to fall in onto the stage where her lord and master danced along with his little blonde cousin.

As the snow fell onto the Uzumaki duo, ki illuminated the white flakes of ice, forming beautiful patterns of light never before seen by the eyes of the Leaf. As the danced progressed, the Uzumakis' synchronization came closer to near perfection. The blurry spells of light started to gain form, and through the marveling eyes of the children of Konohageru, a tale of two lovers was told.

The shapes of a couple formed on the darkened stage, by the blades of both Uzumakis. Their little dance told the story of a tragedy and a love that had graced the world centuries before the emergence of shinobis. As story of vengeance and sacrifice that had been long lost in the literature of the great countries.

**(xi)**

As the duo danced on the darkened stage, two other sets of eyes watched in marvel. The first one, a paled eyed girl of high stature but with a meek personality, watched the one she had admired for so long, telling the story of a love she wished she had with him. She closed her eyes, to watch the display with the gift of her family.

"Beautiful……" her meek voice, was never heard by the boy she admired.

Another, a sandy blonde from the lands of the wind, watched on, a little ashamed that she lacked the grace the boy had. She had grown up being a shinobi and she never had time to learn such things. Admiration, however, found its way into her heart as she recognized the dreams and wishes of the story the blonde boy along with his cousin told. They were the same dreams, the same wishes, she had when she was young, and still has now as she grew.

To Be continued.

Author notes: I know the story is progressing a bit slowly, but bare with me. I feel that the characters need to be further evolved for this story to progress. And by the way, the chunin exams are up next.

The beauty of all good stories do not lie with in violence or the main characters show of power, but rather the imagination the author uses to create one. Stories like Bloodlines, Child of Two worlds, and Foxhound are some inspirations that I'm using. I suggest you read those if

Please review and tell me what you think.


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